The impact of multifactorial stress combination on plant growth and survival

Plant-associated microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, can grow on and survive in healthy plant tissues, making up the plant microbiome. Members of the plant microbiome can provide benefits to their host, and emerging research suggests that plants can reshape the composition of their microbiomes in response to environmental cues. The plant microbiome collectively acts as a reservoir for genes that may improve plant growth and survival in response to challenges, therefore contributing to the total genetic potential of the plant. Understanding the impact of the plant microbiome has unlocked new strategies for improving crop production, especially as climate change threatens to increase the prevalence of pathogens and stressful growth conditions. Applying microbiome engineering strategies, such as inoculation with plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), and incorporating the microbiome into the breeding process show promise for improving future agricultural crop production.

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The impact of multifactorial stress combination on plant growth and survival

10.1101/2020.11.23.394593 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sara I. Zandalinas ◽

Soham Sengupta ◽

Felix B. Fritschi ◽

Rajeev K. Azad ◽

Rachel Nechushtai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Critical Role ◽

Extreme Weather Events ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

List Type ◽

Plain Language ◽

Unique Challenge ◽

Growth And Survival ◽

Plant Acclimation ◽

The Impact

SummaryClimate change-driven extreme weather events, combined with increasing temperatures, harsh soil conditions, low water availability and quality, and the introduction of many man-made pollutants, pose a unique challenge to plants. Although our knowledge of the response of plants to each of these individual conditions is vast, we know very little about how a combination of many of these factors, occurring simultaneously, i.e., multifactorial stress combination, impacts plants.Seedlings of wild type and different mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana plants were subjected to a multifactorial stress combination of six different stresses, each applied at a low level, and their survival, physiological and molecular responses determined.Our findings reveal that while each of the different stresses, applied individually, had a negligible effect on plant growth and survival, the accumulated impact of multifactorial stress combination on plants was detrimental. We further show that the response of plants to multifactorial stress combination is unique and that specific pathways and processes play a critical role in the acclimation of plants to multifactorial stress combination.Taken together our findings reveal that further polluting our environment could result in higher complexities of multifactorial stress combinations that in turn could drive a critical decline in plant growth and survival.Plain Language SummaryThe effects of multiple stress conditions occurring simultaneously, i.e., multifactorial stress combination, on plants is currently unknown. Here we show that different co-occurring stresses can interact to negatively impact plant growth and survival, even if the effect of each individual stress is negligible. We further identify several key pathways essential for plant acclimation to multifactorial stress combination.

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Tracking of Zinc Ferrite Nanoparticle Effects on Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Plant Growth, Pigments, Mineral Content and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Colonization

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10030583 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 583

Author(s):

Reda E. Abdelhameed ◽

Nagwa I. Abu-Elsaad ◽

Arafat Abdel Hamed Abdel Latef ◽

Rabab A. Metwally

Keyword(s):

Pisum Sativum ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Zinc Ferrite ◽

Crop Improvement ◽

Nanocrystalline Structure ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Am Fungi ◽

Transmission Electron ◽

Agricultural Applications ◽

The Impact

Important gaps in knowledge remain regarding the potential of nanoparticles (NPs) for plants, particularly the existence of helpful microorganisms, for instance, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi present in the soil. Hence, more profound studies are required to distinguish the impact of NPs on plant growth inoculated with AM fungi and their role in NP uptake to develop smart nanotechnology implementations in crop improvement. Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) NPs are prepared via the citrate technique and defined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) as well as transmission electron microscopy for several physical properties. The analysis of the XRD pattern confirmed the creation of a nanocrystalline structure with a crystallite size equal to 25.4 nm. The effects of ZnFe2O4 NP on AM fungi, growth and pigment content as well as nutrient uptake of pea (Pisum sativum) plants were assessed. ZnFe2O4 NP application caused a slight decrease in root colonization. However, its application showed an augmentation of 74.36% and 91.89% in AM pea plant shoots and roots’ fresh weights, respectively, compared to the control. Moreover, the synthesized ZnFe2O4 NP uptake by plant roots and their contents were enhanced by AM fungi. These findings suggest the safe use of ZnFe2O4 NPs in nano-agricultural applications for plant development with AM fungi.

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Exogenous application of growth stimulators improves the condition of maize exposed to soil drought

Acta Physiologiae Plantarum ◽

10.1007/s11738-021-03232-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 43 (4) ◽

Author(s):

Agnieszka Ostrowska ◽

Maciej T. Grzesiak ◽

Tomasz Hura

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Developmental Stages ◽

Aminolevulinic Acid ◽

Stem Elongation ◽

Development Stage ◽

Photochemical Activity ◽

Soil Drought ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Induced Changes ◽

The Impact

AbstractSoil drought is a major problem in plant cultivation. This is particularly true for thermophilic plants, such as maize, which grow in areas often affected by precipitation shortage. The problem may be alleviated using plant growth and development stimulators. Therefore, the aim of the study was to analyze the effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), zearalenone (ZEN), triacontanol (TRIA) and silicon (Si) on water management and photosynthetic activity of maize under soil drought. The experiments covered three developmental stages: three leaves, stem elongation and heading. The impact of these substances applied during drought stress depended on the plant development stage. 5-ALA affected chlorophyll levels, gas exchange and photochemical activity of PSII. Similar effects were observed for ZEN, which additionally induced stem elongation and limited dehydration. Beneficial effects of TRIA were visible at the stage of three leaves and involved leaf hydration and plant growth. A silicon preparation applied at the same developmental stage triggered similar effects and additionally induced changes in chlorophyll levels. All the stimulators significantly affected transpiration intensity at the heading stage.

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The Impact of Salt Stress on Plant Growth, Mineral Composition, and Antioxidant Activity in Tetragonia decumbens Mill.: An Underutilized Edible Halophyte in South Africa

Horticulturae ◽

10.3390/horticulturae7060140 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (6) ◽

pp. 140

Author(s):

Avela Sogoni ◽

Muhali Jimoh ◽

Learnmore Kambizi ◽

Charles Laubscher

Keyword(s):

Antioxidant Activity ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Mineral Composition ◽

Nutrient Solution ◽

Crop Production ◽

Saline Water ◽

Total Yield ◽

Control Treatment ◽

Antioxidant Power ◽

The Impact

Climate change, expanding soil salinization, and the developing shortages of freshwater have negatively affected crop production around the world. Seawater and salinized lands represent potentially cultivable areas for edible salt-tolerant plants. In the present study, the effect of salinity stress on plant growth, mineral composition (macro-and micro-nutrients), and antioxidant activity in dune spinach (Tetragonia decumbens) were evaluated. The treatments consisted of three salt concentrations, 50, 100, and 200 mM, produced by adding NaCl to the nutrient solution. The control treatment had no NaCl but was sustained and irrigated by the nutrient solution. Results revealed a significant increase in total yield, branch production, and ferric reducing antioxidant power in plants irrigated with nutrient solution incorporated with 50 mM NaCl. Conversely, an increased level of salinity (200 mM) caused a decrease in chlorophyll content (SPAD), while the phenolic content, as well as nitrogen, phosphorus, and sodium, increased. The results of this study indicate that there is potential for brackish water cultivation of dune spinach for consumption, especially in provinces experiencing the adverse effect of drought and salinity, where seawater or underground saline water could be diluted and used as irrigation water in the production of this vegetable.

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Application of Plant Extracts in Micropropagation and Cryopreservation of Bleeding Heart: An Ornamental-Medicinal Plant Species

Agriculture ◽

10.3390/agriculture11060542 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 542

Author(s):

Dariusz Kulus ◽

Natalia Miler

Keyword(s):

Tissue Culture ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Plant Growth Regulators ◽

Growth Regulators ◽

Plant Extracts ◽

The Other ◽

White Gold ◽

Natural Extracts ◽

Other Hand ◽

The Impact

Lamprocapnos spectabilis (L.) Fukuhara (bleeding heart) is valued both in the horticultural and pharmaceutical markets. Despite its great popularity, information on the in vitro tissue culture technology in this species is limited. There is also little knowledge on the application of plant extracts in the tissue culture systems of plants other than orchids. The aim of this study is to compare the utility of traditional plant growth regulators (PGRs) and natural extracts—obtained from the coconut shreds, as well as oat, rice, and sesame seeds—in the micropropagation and cryopreservation of L. spectabilis ‘Gold Heart’ and ‘White Gold’. The biochemical analysis of extracts composition is also included. In the first experiment related to micropropagation via axillary buds activation, the single-node explants were cultured for a 10-week-long propagation cycle in the modified Murashige and Skoog medium fortified either with 1.11 µM benzyladenine (BA) and 1.23 µM indole-3-butritic acid (IBA) or with 10% (v/v) plant extracts. A PGRs- and extract-free control was also considered. In the cryopreservation experiment, the same 10% (v/v) extracts were added into the medium during a seven-day preculture in the encapsulation-vitrification cryopreservation protocol. It was found that the impact of natural additives was cultivar- and trait-specific. In the first experiment, the addition of coconut extract favoured the proliferation of shoots and propagation ratio in bleeding heart ‘Gold Heart’. Rice extract, on the other hand, promoted callus formation in ‘White Gold’ cultivar and was more effective in increasing the propagation ratio in this cultivar than the conventional plant growth regulators (4.1 and 2.6, respectively). Sesame extract suppressed the development of the explants in both cultivars analysed, probably due to the high content of polyphenols. As for the second experiment, the addition of plant extracts into the preculture medium did not increase the survival level of the cryopreserved shoot tips (sesame and oat extracts even decreased this parameter). On the other hand, coconut extract, abundant in simple sugars and endogenous cytokinins, stimulated a more intensive proliferation and growth of shoots after rewarming of samples. Analysing the synergistic effect of conventional plant growth regulators and natural extracts should be considered in future studies related to L. spectabilis.

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Can repeated soil amendment with biogas digestates increase soil suppressiveness toward non-specific soil-borne pathogens in agricultural lands?

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170520000393 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

L. M. Manici ◽

F. Caputo ◽

G. A. Cappelli ◽

E. Ceotto

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Biomass Production ◽

Soil Amendment ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Amended Soils ◽

Soil Suppressiveness ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Soil Borne Pathogens ◽

The Impact ◽

Plant Biomass Production

Abstract Soil suppressiveness which is the natural ability of soil to support optimal plant growth and health is the resultant of multiple soil microbial components; which implies many difficulties when estimating this soil condition. Microbial benefits for plant health from repeated digestate applications were assessed in three experimental sites surrounding anaerobic biogas plants in an intensively cultivated area of northern Italy. A 2-yr trial was performed in 2017 and 2018 by performing an in-pot plant growth assay, using soil samples taken from two fields for each experimental site, of which one had been repeatedly amended with anaerobic biogas digestate and the other had not. These fields were similar in management and crop sequences (maize was the recurrent crop) for the last 10 yr. Plant growth response in the bioassay was expressed as plant biomass production, root colonization frequency by soil-borne fungi were estimated to evaluate the impact of soil-borne pathogens on plant growth, abundance of Pseudomonas and actinomycetes populations in rhizosphere were estimated as beneficial soil microbial indicators. Repeated soil amendment with digestate increased significantly soil capacity to support plant biomass production as compared to unamended control in both the years. Findings supported evidence that this increase was principally attributable to a higher natural ability of digestate-amended soils to reduce root infection by saprophytic soil-borne pathogens whose inoculum was increased by the recurrent maize cultivation. Pseudomonas and actinomycetes were always more abundant in digestate-amended soils suggesting that both these large bacterial groups were involved in the increase of their natural capacity to control soil-borne pathogens (soil suppressiveness).

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Spaceflight Induces Novel Regulatory Responses in Arabidopsis Seedling as Revealed by Combined Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses

10.21203/rs.2.21481/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Colin Peter Singer Kruse ◽

Alexander D Meyers ◽

Proma Basu ◽

Sarahann Hutchinson ◽

Darron R Luesse ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Cell Wall ◽

Membrane Proteins ◽

Plant Growth ◽

Gene Transcription ◽

Space Station ◽

Growth Efficiency ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Plastid Gene ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: Understanding of gravity sensing and response is critical to long-term human habitation in space and can provide new advantages for terrestrial agriculture. To this end, the altered gene expression profile induced by microgravity has been repeatedly queried by microarray and RNA-seq experiments to understand gravitropism. However, the quantification of altered protein abundance in space has been minimally investigated. Results: Proteomic (iTRAQ-labelled LC-MS/MS) and transcriptomic (RNA-seq) analyses simultaneously quantified protein and transcript differential expression of three-day old, etiolated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings grown aboard the International Space Station along with their ground control counterparts. Protein extracts were fractionated to isolate soluble and membrane proteins and analyzed to detect differentially phosphorylated peptides. In total, 968 RNAs, 107 soluble proteins, and 103 membrane proteins were identified as differentially expressed. In addition, the proteomic analyses identified 16 differential phosphorylation events. Proteomic data delivered novel insights and simultaneously provided new context to previously made observations of gene expression in microgravity. There is a sweeping shift in post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation including RNA-decapping protein DCP5, the splicing factors GRP7 and GRP8, and AGO4,. These data also indicate AHA2 and FERONIA as well as CESA1 and SHOU4 as central to the cell wall adaptations seen in spaceflight. Patterns of tubulin-a 1, 3,4 and 6 phosphorylation further reveal an interaction of microtubule and redox homeostasis that mirrors osmotic response signaling elements. The absence of gravity also results in a seemingly wasteful dysregulation of plastid gene transcription. Conclusions: The datasets gathered from Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to microgravity revealed marked impacts on post-transcriptional regulation, cell wall synthesis, redox/microtubule dynamics, and plastid gene transcription. The impact of post-transcriptional regulatory alterations represents an unstudied element of the plant microgravity response with the potential to significantly impact plant growth efficiency and beyond. What’s more, addressing the effects of microgravity on AHA2, CESA1, and alpha tubulins has the potential to enhance cytoskeletal organization and cell wall composition, thereby enhancing biomass production and growth in microgravity. Finally, understanding and manipulating the dysregulation of plastid gene transcription has further potential to address the goal of enhancing plant growth in the stressful conditions of microgravity.

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The impact of soil and climatic factors on forest growth

Review on Agriculture and Rural Development ◽

10.14232/rard.2016.1-2.19-25 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (1-2) ◽

pp. 19-25

Author(s):

Kitti Balog ◽

András Szabó ◽

János Rásó

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Black Locust ◽

Climatic Factors ◽

Calculated Data ◽

Aridity Index ◽

Vegetation Period ◽

Forest Growth ◽

Humus Layer ◽

The Impact

This preliminary study reveals the relations between the forest growth (annual dendromass increment; ADMinc - as dependent variable) and some important soil factors, which have effect on plant growth, such as: groundwater level (GWL), groundwater composition (GWC), plant available water capacity (PAWC), depth of humus layer, texture (hyi) and pH of the soil, moreover the maximum concentration (MAX) of salt and CaCCb and the depth of its MAX in the soil profile. 17 plantations (Poplar, Common oak and Black locust) are included in the analysis investigated all over the Great Hungarian Plain. Correlation profile of the above parameters was created explaining that two abiotic parameters limit plant growth: if GWL is deeper than 5 m and if HCO3 concentration in groundwater is high (above 15 meq/L). Within the tested range (0.17 - 2.23 mS/cm for electrical conductivity (EC) and 0.5 /sand/ - 4.21 /clay loam/ for hyi), the higher magnitude of EC results in higher ADMinc and the higher hyi (higher proportion of fine soil particles) leads to higher ADMinc The positive relationship of ADMinc with EC suggests good nutrient supply of the soil, while the higher proportion of fine particles refers to better water management properties. Thickness of humus layer is an important soil factor: compared to shallow humus layer, deep one increases ADMinc exponentially. In case of Black locust, PAWC is the substantial factor for growing, unlike Poplar, whose growth depends on groundwater uptake (GWU). This phenomenon originates from the differences between the individual needs of the tree species and differences in root morphology. Merely 4 sampling plots were equipped with meteorological stations, thus the number of climatic parameter data were not enough for statistical analysis. So data for all 17 plots were collected from literature and a general, regionally calculated data were applied (mean rainfall in the vegetation period and aridity index). There was no significant correlation between climatic parameters and ADMinc Further studies and more field investigations are needed in order to clarify the results.

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Nitrogen availability modulates the host control of the barley rhizosphere microbiota

10.1101/605204 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rodrigo Alegria Terrazas ◽

Senga Robertson-Albertyn ◽

Aileen Mary Corral ◽

Carmen Escudero-Martinez ◽

Katharin Balbirnie-Cumming ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Microbial Communities ◽

Biological Processes ◽

N Application ◽

Plant Soil ◽

Unplanted Soil ◽

Bacterial Microbiota ◽

Soil Feedback ◽

The Impact ◽

Barley Genotypes

AbstractBackgroundSince the dawn of agriculture, human selection on plants has progressively differentiated input-demanding productive crops from their wild progenitors thriving in marginal areas. Barley (Hordeum vulgare), the fourth most cultivated cereal globally, is a prime example of this process. We previously demonstrated that wild and domesticated barley genotypes host distinct microbial communities in their rhizosphere. Here, we tested the hypothesis that microbiota diversification is modulated by, and responds to, nitrogen (N) application in soil and assessed the impact of microbiota taxonomic and functional compositions on plant growth.MethodsWe grew two wild (H. vulgare ssp. spontaneum) and an ‘Elite’ domesticated (H. vulgare ssp. vulgare) barley genotypes in an agricultural soil treated with and without N inputs. By using a two-pronged 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and comparative metagenomics approach, we determined the impact of N application on taxonomic composition and metabolic potential of the microbial communities exposed to limiting and replete N supplies. We then implemented a plant-soil feedback experiment to assess microbiotas’ recruitment cues and contribution to plant growth.ResultsN availability emerged as a modulator of the recruitment cues of the barley bacterial microbiota as evidenced by the increased number of bacterial genera differentially recruited between unplanted soil and rhizosphere communities under N-limiting conditions. This recruitment pattern mirrored the impact of the host genotype on rhizosphere bacteria. The characterisation of the assembled metagenomes of plants exposed to N-limiting conditions revealed a metabolic specialisation of the rhizosphere microbiota compared to unplanted soil controls. This specialisation is underpinned predominantly by bacteria and is manifested by the enrichment of a core set of biological processes sustaining the adaptation of polymicrobial communities such as N utilisation, quorum sensing and motility across genotypes. The quantitative variation in a group of these biological processes defined host signatures in the barley rhizosphere metagenome. Finally, a plant-soil feedback experiment revealed that the host-mediated taxonomic diversification of the bacterial microbiota is associated with barley growth under sub-optimal N supplies.ConclusionsOur results suggest that under N limiting conditions, a substrate-driven selection process underpins the assembly of barley rhizosphere microbiota. Host-microbe and microbe-microbe interactions fine-tune this process at the taxonomic and functional level across kingdoms. The disruption of these recruitment cues negatively impacts plant growth.

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